Position: Winter Conservation Crew Leader – Non-AmeriCorps
Unpaid Orientation Dates: January 7th and 8th, 2027
Employment Dates: January 11, 2027 – March 26, 2027
Status: Seasonal, Full-time
Age: Must be 21 or older and be approved on Conservation Legacy’s Driver Policy
Weekly Stipend: $975 – 1125 per week DOE
Benefits: Optional reduced cost housing, all food while on duty, uniform shirts, personal protective equipment, and eligibility for Conservation Legacy health insurance after 60-days of employment
Southwest Conservation Corps
Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) is a non-profit, AmeriCorps-affiliated organization, whose mission is to engage future leaders who protect, restore, and enhance our nation’s lands through community-based services. SCC programs aim to empower individuals to positively impact their lives, their communities, and the environment. The SCC-LV office is in Salida, Colorado with satellite operations in Alamosa, CO and serves the Arkansas River Valley and the San Luis Valley: the two valleys, or Los Valles.
As a Crew Leader with Southwest Conservation Corps, your office is the great outdoors! Our Winter Conservation Crew will consist of seven AmeriCorps members (ages 18 – 30) and two crew leaders (21+). You will serve for five days at a time in front country locations (access to your crew vehicle) in winter weather conditions. The crew will have two days off each week. As wildfires become more common across the American west, Southwest Conservation Corps’ Winter Conservation Crew provides the opportunity to engage in wildfire mitigation and prevention projects within Chaffee County.
To lead this crew, you are expected to have an active Wilderness Medicine Cert (WFR/WEMT), an A-Faller chainsaw certification, and an Incident Qualification Card (“red card”). You also should be comfortable in leadership responsibilities including teaching LNT, driving in winter road conditions, mapping project sites, reporting on accomplishments, and coaching participants on saw techniques and maintenance.
Projects will focus on hazardous fuels reduction in the wildland urban interface including ditch clearing and burning, felling, limbing, bucking, piling and chipping or burning hazardous fuels, all for the purpose of reducing wildfire risks for local communities. Projects may also include trail construction and maintenance, habitat improvement, re-vegetation, weeding, fencing, facility maintenance, and local environmental service projects. Participants may also have the opportunity to serve on a disaster relief crew.
This crew will be expected to work Monday – Thursday (9 hour days) and Fridays (4 hour day), followed by 2 days off. There is a possibility that the crew's schedule shifts due to unforeseen circumstances, such as weather conditions or project delays, etc. SCC requires that all crew participants demonstrate flexibility in scheduling. During all project workdays, meals will be prepared and shared as a crew in a community space.
Our Winter Conservation Crew will have housing available at a reduced cost for members and leaders for the duration of the program. During project weeks, crews may camp at shelters or other lodging accommodations or may return to their designated housing location in Salida each night.
Required Skills & Experience:
- Must hold an active A-faller and A-bucker chainsaw certification (B-faller and B-bucker preferred)
- Minimum of 6 months of professional experience using and maintaining a chainsaw and comfort in teaching those skills to others
- Must hold an active wildland fire Incident Qualification Card (“red card”) or be willing to obtain this certification prior to start date
- Must hold current/relevant wilderness medicine certification (WFR, WEMT, with CPR/AED certification)
- Physically fit and able to regularly lift and/or move up to 50 lbs., work on steep slopes in slippery conditions and serve 40–50 hours per week in an outdoor work environment
- Experience leading a crew in an outdoor stewardship role or manual labor field
- Comfort in driving in all weather conditions, including wet, icy, and snowy conditions.
- Has a high school diploma or GED
Conservation Legacy is committed to the full consideration of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential job functions. Physical requirements may include periodic overnight travel, non-traditional work hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. The ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to Vanessa Morrison at vmorrison@conservationlegacy.org.
Responsibilities & Core Competencies:
- Foster collaboration & teamwork, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, flexibility & adaptability
- Contribute to a safe learning environment; and ensure no harassment of any kind is tolerated
- Model effective communication and conflict-resolution skills
Leadership and Expedition Behavior
- Serve effectively as a leader of a team despite potentially stressful and difficult conditions
- Willingness and ability to complete all aspects of the program
- Appropriately represent SCC and AmeriCorps to the public and project partners at all times
Risk Management and Judgement
- Analyze, manage, and inform on hazardous conditions and crew health, making sound judgement calls to keep everyone safe
- Exhibit strong situational awareness at the worksite for self and crew
- Transport crew and equipment safely in SCC’s vans or trucks with trailers during possibly hazardous driving conditions
- If taking prescription medications, all participants must maintain proper dosage while participating in this program
Environmental Ethics & Outdoor Skills
- Teach and safely perform fundamental outdoor living and work skills as appropriate to the project
- Serve in a physically demanding position and in a winter climate daily, ensuring that you have the proper gear to meet these demands and the needs of others
- Teach and model Leave No Trace principles within your role
- Meet all deadlines for documentation, i.e., timesheets, evaluations, incident reports, etc.
- Record all project-related outcomes and deliverables
- Manage food budget and credit card for purchases, providing receipts for all purchases
In accordance with a drug free program, alcohol and drugs are prohibited while participating in all AmeriCorps and SCC activities, including while at arranged housing and while on organization property. Additionally, SCC has a strict tobacco policy where we do not allow smoking in/on our property, in vehicles, or while in uniform.
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply on our website. Interviews will be conducted in person during the week of November 2nd, 2026 in Salida, CO.
Supervisor(s) Name and Contact Information:
Pamela Cisneros, SCC Los Valles (Salida) Program Manager:
Alix Jensen, SCC Los Valles (Salida) Program Director:
Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodations due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.
